Ancient Greek myth "Orpheus and Eurydice"
Genre: Ancient Greek myth
The main characters of the fairy tale "Orpheus and Eurydice" and their characteristics
What does the fairy tale "Orpheus and Eurydice" teach
The tale teaches true and selfless love. It teaches you to strive to always be with your loved one, teaches you not to part with your loved ones. Teaches not to be afraid of obstacles, a long road, night shadows. Teaches you to be brave, even fearless. It teaches that talent is honored everywhere. It teaches you not to be hasty, and to strictly observe agreements with those who are stronger than you.
Review of the fairy tale "Orpheus and Eurydice"
I liked this romantic story, although of course it's a pity that Orpheus, having made such a long and dangerous journey, could not resist and endure a couple more minutes. Then Eurydice would be free. But too much haste ruined the whole thing. But Orpheus himself managed to descend into the realm of the dead and return alive.
Proverbs to the fairy tale "Orpheus and Eurydice"
The quieter you go, the further you'll get.
Speed is needed, and haste is harmful.
For a darling, seven miles is not a suburb.
Great love is not quickly forgotten.
The work of the master is afraid.
Read a summary, a brief retelling of the tale "Orpheus and Eurydice"
The famous singer Orpheus lived in Ancient Greece. Everyone liked his songs very much, and the beautiful Eurydice fell in love with his songs. She became the wife of Orpheus, but they were not together for long.
It so happened that soon, Eurydice was frightened by the noise in the forest, ran and inadvertently stepped on the snake's nest. She was stung by a snake and Orpheus, who ran to the cries of his wife, saw only the black wings of the bird of death, which took Eurydice with it.
Orpheus' grief was immeasurable. He retired to the forests and there in songs he poured out his longing for his beloved.
And his grief was so great, his songs were so piercing that the animals came out to listen to them, and the trees surrounded Orpheus. And Orpheus prayed for death in order to meet Eurydice at least in the halls of death. But death did not come.
And then Orpheus himself went in search of death. In the cave of Tenara, he found a stream that flowed into the underground river Styx, and went down the stream to the banks of the Styx. Beyond this river began the realm of the dead.
Behind Orpheus, the shadows of the dead crowded, waiting for their turn to cross the Styx. And then a boat landed on the shore, driven by the carrier of dead souls Charon. Souls began to board the boat and Orpheus asked Charon to transport him to the other side.
But Charon pushed Orpheus away, saying that he carries only the dead. And then Orpheus sang. He sang so well that the dead shadows heard him, and Charon himself heard him. And Orpheus entered the boat and demanded to be taken to the other side. And Charon obeyed, enchanted by the music.
And Orpheus crossed into the land of the dead, and walked along it in search of Eurydice, continuing to sing. And the dead parted before him. So Orpheus got to the palace of the god of the underworld.
Hades himself and his wife Persephone sat on the throne in the palace. Behind them stood the god of Death, with black wings folded, Kera crowded nearby, taking the lives of warriors on the battlefield. Here the judges judged the souls.
Memories hid in the shadows in the corners of the hall, whipping souls with whips of living snakes.
And Orpheus saw many other monsters in the Underworld - Lamius, who steal children at night, Empusa, with donkey legs, who drinks the blood of people, Stygian dogs.
Only the young god of sleep, Hypnos, rushed around the hall joyfully. He gave everyone a wonderful drink, from which everyone fell asleep.
And then Orpheus sang. The gods listened in silence, bowing their heads. And when Orpheus finished, Hades asked him what he wanted for his singing, and promised to fulfill any of his desires.
And Orpheus began to ask that Hades release his Eurydice, because sooner or later she will return to the kingdom of the dead anyway. And Orpheus began to beg Persephone to intercede for him before Hades.
Hades agreed to return Eurydice to Orpheus, but put one condition. Orpheus should not have seen his beloved while she was following him like a shadow. Only after leaving the realm of the dead into the sunlight could Orpheus look back. Orpheus agreed and ordered Hades to follow the shadow of Eurydice.
So they passed the realm of the dead and Charon transported them through the Styx. They began to climb up in the cave, and already daylight appeared ahead. And then Orpheus could not stand it and turned around, he wanted to check whether Eurydice was really following him. For a moment he saw the shadow of his beloved, but she immediately flew away.
Orpheus rushed back and sobbed for a long time on the banks of the Styx, but no one answered his prayers. Then Orpheus returned to the world of the living and lived one long life. But he remembered his beloved and sang it in his songs.
Drawings and illustrations for the fairy tale "Orpheus and Eurydice"
MYTH OF ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE: summary
Orpheus, the great singer, the son of the river god Eagra and the muse of chants Calliope, lived in Thrace. His wife was the tender and beautiful nymph Eurydice. The beautiful singing of Orpheus, his playing the cithara not only fascinated people, but enchanted plants and animals. Orpheus and Eurydice were happy until a terrible disaster struck them.
Once, when Eurydice and her nymph friends were picking flowers in a green valley, they were ambushed by a snake hiding in thick grass and stung Orpheus's wife in the leg. The poison quickly spread and ended her life. Hearing the mournful cry of Eurydice's friends, Orpheus hurried to the valley and, seeing the cold body of Eurydice, his dearly beloved wife, fell into despair and groaned bitterly. Nature sympathized deeply with him in his grief. Then Orpheus decided to go to the realm of the dead to see Eurydice there. To do this, he descends to the sacred river Styx, where the souls of the dead have accumulated, whom the carrier Charon sends on a boat to the possessions of Hades.
At first, Charon refused Orpheus's request to smuggle him. But then Orpheus played on his golden cithara and charmed the gloomy Charon with wonderful music. And he brought him to the throne of Hades. In the midst of the cold and silence of the underworld, the passionate song of Orpheus sounded about his grief, about the torment of a broken love for Eurydice. Everyone who was nearby was amazed at the beauty of the music and the strength of his feelings: both Hades and his wife Persephone, and Tantalus, who forgot about the hunger that tormented him, and Sisyphus, who stopped his hard and fruitless work. Then Orpheus stated his request to Hades to return his wife Eurydice to earth. Hades agreed to fulfill it, but at the same time he stated his condition: Orpheus must follow, and Eurydice will follow him. During the journey through the underworld, Orpheus should not look back: otherwise, Eurydice will leave him forever. When the shadow of Eurydice appeared, Orpheus wished to hug her, but Hermes told him not to do this, since there was only a shadow in front of him, and a long and difficult path lay ahead.
Quickly passing the kingdom of Hades, the travelers reached the River Styx, where Charon ferried them on his boat to a path leading steeply up to the surface of the earth. The path was cluttered with stones, darkness reigned around, and the figure of Hermes loomed ahead and the light barely dawned, which indicated the proximity of the exit. At that moment, Orpheus was seized with deep anxiety for Eurydice: whether she was keeping up with him, whether she was behind, whether she was lost in the dusk. Listening closely, he could not make out any sound behind him, which heightened the unsettling feeling. Finally, unable to stand it and violating the ban, he turned around: almost next to him he saw the shadow of Eurydice, stretched out his hands to her, but at the same moment the shadow melted into the darkness. So he had to re-experience the death of Eurydice. And this time it was my own fault.
Terrified, Orpheus decides to return to the shores of the Styx, re-enter the kingdom of Hades and pray to God to return his beloved wife. But this time, the prayers of Orpheus no longer touched the old Charon. Orpheus spent seven days on the banks of the Styx, but did not soften the harsh heart of Charon, and on the eighth he returned to his place in Thrace.
Four years have passed since the death of Eurydice, but Orpheus remained faithful to her, not wanting to marry any of the women. Once, in early spring, he sat down on a high hill, picked up a golden cithara and sang. All nature listened to the great singer. At this time, Bacchantes, possessed by rage, appeared, celebrating the holiday of the god of wine and fun, Bacchus. Noticing Orpheus, they rushed at him shouting: "Here he is, a hater of women." In a frenzy, the Bacchantes surround the singer and shower him with stones. Having killed Orpheus, they tear his body apart, tear off the head of the singer and, together with his cithara, throw him into the fast waters of the Hebra River. Carried away by the current, the cithara strings continue to sound, mourning the singer, and the shore answers them. All nature mourns Orpheus. The head of the singer and his cithara are carried out to sea by the waves and reach the island of Lesvos. Since then, marvelous songs have been heard on the island. The soul of Orpheus descends into the realm of shadows, where the great singer meets his own, Eurydice. Since then, their shadows have been inseparable. Together they wander through the gloomy fields of the realm of the dead.
Images of poetic myth are exceptionally popular in world art. Based on his motives, the paintings of the great painters Tintoretto, Rubens, Brueghel were painted; the operas "Orpheus" were created by Verdi and Gluck, the ballet "Orpheus" - by I. Stravinsky; Jacques Offenbach wrote the operetta Orpheus in Hell. The original interpretation of the myth was given by the American playwright Tennessee Williams in the drama Orpheus Descends. For many years in Poland, Sopot hosted the international festival of singers "Golden Orpheus".
Orpheus, the great singer, the son of the river god Eagra and the muse of chants Calliope, lived in Thrace. His wife was the tender and beautiful nymph Eurydice. The beautiful singing of Orpheus, his playing the cithara not only fascinated people, but enchanted plants and animals. Orpheus and Eurydice were happy until a terrible disaster struck them. Once, when Eurydice and her nymph friends were picking flowers in a green valley, they were ambushed by a snake hiding in thick grass and stung Orpheus's wife in the leg. The poison quickly spread and ended her life. Hearing the mournful cry of Eurydice's friends, Orpheus hurried to the valley and, seeing the cold body of Eurydice, his dearly beloved wife, fell into despair and groaned bitterly. Nature sympathized deeply with him in his grief. Then Orpheus decided to go to the realm of the dead to see Eurydice there. To do this, he descends to the sacred river Styx, where the souls of the dead have accumulated, which the carrier on the boat Charon sends to the domain of Hades. At first, Charon refused Orpheus's request to smuggle him. But then Orpheus played on his golden cithara and charmed the gloomy Charon with wonderful music. And he transported him to the throne of the god of death Hades. In the midst of the cold and silence of the underworld, the passionate song of Orpheus sounded about his grief, about the torment of a broken love for Eurydice. Everyone who was nearby was amazed at the beauty of the music and the strength of his feelings: both Hades and his wife Persephone, and Tantalus, who forgot about the hunger that tormented him, and Sisyphus, who stopped his hard and fruitless work. Then Orpheus stated his request to return his wife Eurydice to earth. Hades agreed to fulfill it, but at the same time he stated his condition: Orpheus must follow the god Hermes, and Eurydice will follow him. During the journey through the underworld, Orpheus should not look back: otherwise, Eurydice will leave him forever. When the shadow of Eurydice appeared, Orpheus wished to hug her, but Hermes told him not to do this, since there was only a shadow in front of him, and a long and difficult path lay ahead.
Quickly passing the kingdom of Hades, the travelers reached the River Styx, where Charon ferried them on his boat to a path leading steeply up to the surface of the earth. The path was cluttered with stones, darkness reigned around, and the figure of Hermes loomed ahead and the light barely dawned, which indicated the proximity of the exit. At that moment, Orpheus was seized with deep anxiety for Eurydice: whether she was keeping up with him, whether she was behind, whether she was lost in the dusk. Listening closely, he could not make out any sound behind him, which heightened the unsettling feeling. Finally, unable to stand it and violating the ban, he turned around: almost next to him he saw the shadow of Eurydice, stretched out his hands to her, but at the same moment the shadow melted into the darkness. So he had to re-experience the death of Eurydice. And this time it was my own fault.
Terrified, Orpheus decides to return to the shores of the Styx, re-enter the kingdom of Hades and pray to God to return his beloved wife. But this time, the prayers of Orpheus no longer touched the old Charon. Orpheus spent seven days on the banks of the Styx, but did not soften the harsh heart of Charon, and on the eighth he returned to his place in Thrace.
Four years have passed since the death of Eurydice, but Orpheus remained faithful to her, not wanting to marry any of the women. Once, in early spring, he sat down on a high hill, picked up a golden cithara and sang. All nature listened to the great singer. At this time, Bacchantes, possessed by rage, appeared, celebrating the holiday of the god of wine and fun, Bacchus. Noticing Orpheus, they rushed at him shouting: "Here he is, a hater of women." In a frenzy, the Bacchantes surround the singer and shower him with stones. Having killed Orpheus, they tear his body apart, tear off the head of the singer and, together with his cithara, throw him into the fast waters of the Hebra River. Carried away by the current, the cithara strings continue to sound, mourning the singer, and the shore answers them. All nature mourns Orpheus. The head of the singer and his cithara are carried by the waves into the sea, where they swim to the island of Lesbos. Since then, marvelous songs have been heard on the island. The soul of Orpheus descends into the realm of shadows, where the great singer meets his Eurydice. Since then, their shadows have been inseparable. Together they wander through the gloomy fields of the realm of the dead.
Images of poetic myth are exceptionally popular in world art. Based on his motives, the paintings of the great painters Tintoretto, Rubens, Brueghel were painted; the operas "Orpheus" were created by Verdi and Gluck, the ballet "Orpheus" - by I. Stravinsky; Jacques Offenbach wrote the operetta Orpheus in Hell. The original interpretation of the myth was given by the American playwright Tennessee Williams in the drama Orpheus Descends. For many years in Poland, Sopot hosted the international festival of singers "Golden Orpheus".
The story of Orpheus and Eurydice is a tragic love story. Perhaps one of the most famous Greek myths, it inspired many important artists such as Peter Paul Rubens and Nicolas Poussin.
In addition, many operas, songs and plays have been written in honor of these two great lovers who tragically lost the opportunity to enjoy their love.
The story of Orpheus and Eurydice has been told in many versions, with slight differences between them. The earliest account comes from Ibek (circa 530 BC), a Greek lyric poet. We hereby present you with a mixture of these different versions.
Orpheus is known as the most talented music player of ancient times. It is said that the god Apollo was his father, from whom he took his exceptional talent in music, and Muse Calliope was his mother. He lived in Thrace, in the northeastern part of Greece.
Orpheus had a divinely gifted voice that could charm anyone who heard it. When he was first introduced to the lyre as a child, he quickly mastered it. The myth says that no god or mortal can resist his music, and even rocks and trees will move beside him.
According to some ancient texts, Orpheus is accredited to teach agriculture, writing, and medicine to humanity. He is also credited with being an astrologer, seer and founder of many mystical rites. The strange and enthusiastic music of Orpheus would intrigue the mind of people with things beyond the natural and allow the mind to be expanded with new unusual theories.
However, in addition to musical talent, Orpheus also had an adventurous character. He was believed to have taken part in the Argonaut Expedition, which is the journey of Jason and his fellow Argonauts to reach Colchis and steal the Golden Fleece.
In fact, Orpheus played a vital role during the expedition because, by playing his music, he put to sleep the "sleepless dragon" that guarded the Golden Fleece, and thus Jason managed to obtain the Fleece. Moreover, the music of Orpheus saved the Argonauts from the Sirens, strange effeminate creatures who seduced men with their pleasant voice and then killed them.
Orpheus spent most of his early years in idyllic pursuits of music and poetry. His skill far exceeded the fame and respect of his music. Both humans and beasts will be fascinated by it, and oftentimes even the most inanimate objects yearn to be near it.
In his youth he mastered the lyre, and his melodious voice drew his audience from afar. It was at one such meeting of people and animals that his gaze fell on a wooden nymph. The girl's name was Eurydice, she was beautiful and shy.
She was drawn to Orpheus, enchanted by his voice, and it was a spell of beauty in music and appearance that neither could look away from each other. Something inexplicable touched the hearts of the two young people, and soon they felt a tender love, unable to spend a single moment from each other. After a while they decided to get married.
Their wedding day was bright and clear. Hymen, the god of marriage, blessed their marriage, and then a great feast followed. The environment was filled with laughter and fun. Soon the shadows became large, signaling the end of the revelry that had lasted most of the day, and all the wedding guests said goodbye to the newlyweds, who were still sitting hand in hand and with starry eyes. Soon they both realized that it was time for them, and went home.
However, soon everything will change, and grief will bring happiness. There was one man who despised Orpheus and desired Eurydice for himself. Aristaeus, a shepherd, devised a plan to subdue a beautiful nymph. And there he is, waiting in the bushes until a young couple passes by. Seeing that the lovers were approaching, he intended to jump on them and kill Orpheus. When the shepherd made his move, Orpheus grabbed Eurydice by the hand and began to run through the forest.
The chase was long and Aristaeus showed no signs of giving up or slowing down. Again and again they ran, and Orpheus suddenly felt Eurydice stumble and fall, her hand slipping out of his. Unable to comprehend what had just happened, he rushed towards her, but stopped in dismay as his eyes took in the deathly pallor that covered her cheeks.
Looking around, he did not see any trace of the shepherd, because Aristaeus was a witness to this event and left. A few steps away, Eurydice stepped on a nest of snakes and was bitten by a deadly viper. Knowing that there was no chance of survival, Aristaeus abandoned the attempt, cursing his luck and Orpheus.
After the death of his beloved wife, Orpheus was no longer the same carefree person that he was before. His life without Eurydice seemed endless and could do nothing for her but grief. It was then that he had a great, but still crazy idea: he decided to go to the underworld and try to get his wife back. Apollo, his father, spoke to Hades, the god of the underworld, to receive him and hear his plea.
Armed with his weapons, lyre and voice, Orpheus approached Hades and demanded entry into the underworld. Nobody disputed it. Standing in front of the rulers of the dead, Orpheus said why he was there, in a voice that was both dull and unsettling. He played his lyre and sang to King Hades and Queen Persephone that Eurydice had been returned to him. Even the most carefree people or gods could not ignore the pain in his voice.
Hades wept openly, Persephone's heart melted, and even Cerberus, the giant three-headed hound that guarded the entrance to the underworld, covered his ears with his paws and howled in despair. Orpheus's voice was so touching that Hades promised this desperate man that Eurydice would follow him to the Upper World, the world of the living.
However, he warned Orpheus that all of a sudden he should look back while his wife was still in the dark, because that would destroy everything he hoped for. He should wait until Eurydice comes into the light before he looks at her.
With great faith in his heart and joy in his song, Orpheus began his journey from the underworld, joyful that he would be reunited with his love again. When Orpheus reached the exit from the Underworld, he heard the steps of his wife approaching him. He wanted to turn around and hug her immediately, but managed to control his feelings.
As he neared the exit, his heart beat faster and faster. The moment he stepped onto the world of the living, he turned his head to embrace his wife. Unfortunately, he only got a glimpse of Eurydice before she was pulled back into the underworld.
When Orpheus turned his head, Eurydice was still in darkness, she did not see the sun and, as Hades warned Orpheus, his sweet wife was drowned in the dark world of the dead. Waves of torment and despair washed over him and, trembling with grief, he again approached the Underworld, but this time he was denied entry, the gates were closed, and the god Hermes, sent by Zeus, did not let him inside.
Since then, the broken-hearted musician has wandered, disoriented day after day, night after night, in utter despair. He could not find solace in anything. His misfortune tormented him, forcing him to refrain from associating with any other woman, and slowly but surely he found himself avoiding their company entirely. His songs were no more joyful, but extremely sad. His only consolation was to lie on a huge rock and feel the caress of the wind, his only vision was the open sky.
And it so happened that a group of angry women, enraged because of his contempt for them, attacked him. Orpheus was so desperate that he did not even try to repel their advances. The women killed him, cut his body into pieces and threw them and his lyre into the river.
It is said that his head and lyre floated downstream to the island of Lesbos. There the Muses found them and gave Orpheus a proper burial ceremony. People believed that his grave radiated music, mournful but beautiful. His soul descended to Hades, where he was finally reunited with his beloved Eurydice.
If you carefully observe the above myth, you will find a comparison between this ancient Greek myth and the scene from the Bible. The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is similar to the story of Lot. The "no looking back" analogy goes a long way in both stories.
In Genesis, when God decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, two cities drowned in sin, he ordered a good man, Lot, to take his family and leave the area. God told them to go to the mountains without looking back at the city being destroyed.
As they were leaving the city, Lot's wife could not help but turn around to see the burning cities. She was immediately transformed into a pillar of salt! This can be done as a direct and terrible consequence of disobedience to God.
According to the myth, Orpheus is one of the few people of ancient Greece who defied death itself.
Orpheus was the founder of the musical tradition. He invented music and poetry. He was especially skillful in playing the lyre, an ancient stringed instrument in the form of a bent bow.
Ancient myths and legends of Greece say that music for the people of those times was not just a song, it carried a certain magical formula, that is, while singing, Orpheus not only sang, but also worked magic.
The myth of Orpheus tells that the only thing that Orpheus loved more than music was his beloved wife, Eurydice. Orpheus and Eurydice were insanely happy and in love with each other. But the myths of Greece say that mortals cannot be happy, and therefore something bad must happen to them.
According to the story of the myth of Orpheus, when Eurydice was picking flowers in a grove, a satyr noticed her. Half man, half goat, known for his lustfulness. The ancient myths of Greece represent satyr as unbridled male power, passion, the desire to mate and multiply.
Noticing Satyr, Eurydice tried to run away, but he blocked her path. She backed away in horror and stepped into a nest with poisonous snakes. There Orpheus found her, but it was already too late, she was already in the realm of the dead.
Orpheus was so in love that he mourned his wife in a way that no one had ever mourned. He could not come to terms with the death of his wife, deciding to take Eurydice from the kingdom of Hades.
Orpheus plucks the strings of his lyre with trembling fingers, Cerberus calms down and falls asleep. Soon Orpheus will meet with Hades himself. Orpheus hopes not so much for himself as for the power of his music. Orpheus starts playing. His song was so sad and sad that everyone, including Hades, began to cry. Orpheus is watched from the shadows by his wife, Eurydice.
The myth of Orpheus says that Hades was so touched by the song that even being immortal and unable to understand the power of love, he decided to give Orpheus the opportunity to return his wife. But there was one condition. Orpheus must go to the exit from the dark kingdom and believe that Eurydice is following him. If he turns around to see this, he will lose her forever. But the closer Orpheus comes to the exit from the underworld, the more he begins to doubt that Eurydice is following him and whether Hades is playing with him. Just before reaching the surface, Orpheus breaks down and turns his head. As soon as their eyes touch, Eurydice is immediately carried away to the underworld.
